Meeting of the Minds
by PixieKayGirl
Summary: Creatures that can live in the void of space are rare. Living ships are even more rare. What happens when two such creatures from very different parts of the universe meet?


She floated through space, heedless of direction, scarcely applying any propulsion, simply enjoying her freedom. The Little Ones were on a sphere, for some reason that seemed intensely important to them, and Pilot was resting. As far as he could, he'd disengaged and was allowing her free reign while he rested, until the Little Ones called her back.

Through the silence and music of space, she became aware of a presence. Another being was nearby. She paused, reached tentatively with her mind, and assessed. No collar. No Pilot? No Little Ones? Was this one wild? She paused to consider. It didn't seem ferral, anyway, so she started toward the presence, curious.

Within her, Pilot stirred, aware of her change. _Hush_ , she whispered into him. _All is well. Rest now._

He settled again and she felt a tingle of contentment as she continued forward.

The presence had sensed her as well. They approached cautiously, cycled one another, probed tentative tendrils of thought toward one another.

It was different than any she'd ever known. Not a leviathan, and certainly smaller than she, yet similar somehow. The contours were a bit different, but it still had a head in front and tentacles in back. It propelled itself through universe similarly to how she did. Rather than the natural colors of every leviathan she'd ever known, it was intensely bright green, with intense dark patches that moved around.

The patches formed what she thought might be words, but she didn't recognize them. She moved her tentacles in a pattern, but the other didn't seem to recognize the motion. The other moved in a pattern that might have meaning to it, but meant nothing to her. Finally, she reached her tendril of thought out once more. _Hello_.

 _Hello._

The other reacted! It-he, she thought-recognized her thought, as a leviathan would. She was pleased and also still more curious.

 _What are you?_

 _I am ship._

Of course he was a ship. But of what kind?

 _Natural ship?_

 _Grown ship. Vorlon made._

Vorlon. The name meant nothing to her. Surely he meant some kind of Little Ones.

 _Vorlon. Don't know. Name you?_

 _I am . . . ._ He hesitated for a moment. _Vorlons call me of-Kosh. Kosh is my being. I am of-Kosh._

She considered that, especially his hesitation. _What call you yourself?_

The other's patterns rearranged, seeming pleased. _Am Tesh._ Clearly this was not something he was called often, and he was proud to be able to share this with someone. _What call you?_

She sent an image to his brain. _The other leviathans call me this. Little Ones interpret as Moya._

 _Moya. I like that._ Tesh drew forward a little. _Being is in you?_ He drew back again rapidly, seemingly repulsed. _Shadow-made!_

Moya rolled slightly, curious. _What is Shadow-made?_

 _Shadows evil! Put beings fully inside ship. Not bonded, as Kosh and of-Kosh are bonded. Forced. Enslaved. Being is in you. Enslaved._ He sent images to her head-great black ships that screamed in her mind, the scream of the mind enslaved by the ship trying to escape the pain inflicted on it.

Moya began to understand. _Is not enslaved! Natural bond. Symbiotic. I was slave._

Tesh pulled forward again, tentatively but obviously still curious. _Pilot enslave you?_

 _No, not Pilot. Pilot and Moya both enslaved by Peacekeepers. My Little Ones-my beings, as you say-rescued us, and we rescued them. Pilot forced into Moya, painful. Later, we sever, regrow, not painful. Pilot and Moya are one._

`Tesh considered, then accepted this for the time. _What do you here?_

 _Little Ones are on a sphere. Taking a break while they are there. Will return when they call._

 _You serve Little Ones?_

 _Yes. No. They are . . . like children. Need help._

She had tried to close off the feelings that escaped just then, but didn't do it in time. Tesh caught sight of something she hadn't wanted him to see. She quickly changed the subject. _You are traveler?_

He didn't entirely shift his thoughts, but enough to focus on her question. _Yes, am seeing universe. Kosh say go, see, only brief time until prophecy happens. I must see the universe first._

 _Prophecy? Soon?_

 _Perhaps soon. How you count time?_

 _My Little Ones call cycles._ She sent an image, a few images, of the ways they measured time.

 _Ah. Yes. Prophecy . . . 200 cycles. Some more. Not much more._

 _You are in prophecy?_

 _No. I am to be there._

Moya wasn't sure how to respond to that, so she didn't try. After a moment she suddenly turned and flew away, reaching the thought behind her, _Come! See universe, must see my favorite place._

They flew for a bit in silence, until Moya led him through an asteroid field and into a lovely field of rainbow colors. Tesh spun in circles. _Beautiful!_

Moya coalesced in pleasure. _My favorite. I do not show Little Ones. They cannot see all colors of the universe. Will not appreciate._

Tesh turned all directions for a while longer before turning to see Moya again. _I did not forget your thoughts. Talyn-who is?_

Moya's lovely colors of pleasure immediately darkened in sadness. _My son. He is . . . ._ She searched for the right words to explain. _Shadow-born. We do not know Shadows here, but we know shadows._ She spun around, faced away from Tesh, but continued to explain. It was so rare to have a friend who truly understood, but she felt Tesh was one such friend, and she had so much pain she needed to express. _I was . . . when Peacekeepers enslave me . . . ._ She suppressed a shudder, lest Pilot wake up. _I show you._

She meant to send images slowly, but once she opened the dam she'd kept so firmly closed for so long, a whole torrent of images came flying out at once. The experiments to impregnate her with a weapons-bearing ship. The Little One who accidentally released the experiment to begin growing within her. Birthing her baby, loving her baby, her baby getting stuck because of his weaponry, disagreeing with her, the Little One called Aeryn helping her baby see the need to listen to his mother, happy times for a while, then the recent disagreement before he left with a shadowed Little One.

Tesh shuddered as he saw this all. _Rape. Peacekeepers raped you._

Moya shifted in agreement. _Little Ones do not see it. They say 'experimented.' But more than experiment. But worth it all for my baby, and then my baby is shadowed._

Tentatively, Tesh moved closer, until nudging right up against Moya. He sent images of comfort as together, watching the beautiful colors around them, they sorrowed for Moya and for Talyn and for the beings inside the Shadow ships and for every being that is ever ill-used.

"Moya," said Pilot. Moya started and pulled away from Tesh. "That was Crichton calling, he said-WHOA! WHAT IS THAT?"

 _Friend. Is friend Tesh._

Pilot hastily pulled Moya back, but Moya fought to regain control and return to Tesh's side. _Is friend Tesh._

After another moment of struggling, Pilot calmed down again. "Well, friend Tesh isn't coming with us is he? Crichton says they'll be ready in a few arns. We should get back."

Moya turned to Tesh. _Little Ones need me._

Tesh seemed to understand. _I must go explore more. Kosh will need me again soon. Thank you for the beautiful sight._

 _Thank you for sharing my sorrow._ Moya hesitated. _How do I find you again?_

His green darkened in sadness. _I cannot find you again. Vorlon bit of universe very far away._ He hesitated then too, then added, _But Vorlon will not know of you. There is much to do in Vorlon part of universe. No need to distract them with here. Goodbye, friend Moya._

 _Goodbye, friend Tesh. Safe journey._

Moya had a sense, as she watched Tesh leave and then turned to return to her Little Ones, that Tesh was not keeping their existence a secret to prevent the Vorlons from being distracted, but to protect her. From what? The Shadows, perhaps, but she sensed it was something more. Perhaps even the Vorlons themselves. Being in her part of the universe, though, she would probably never know.


End file.
